Closure actuating and securing mechanism



June l0, 1947. J. J. voGT 2,422,056

CLOSURE ACTUATING AND SECURING MECHANISM Filed May e, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN J. VOGT mi# L; J

ATTORNEY llll FIG.

fu: wr- IT F IG 5 June 1.0, 1947. .1. J. voGT 2,422,056

CLOSURE ACTUATING' AND SECURING MEGHANISM Filed May e, 1944 Y y2 sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .JOHN J. vosT A TTOR NE Y Patented June 10, ld-7 CLOSURE ACTUATIN G AND SECURING MECHANISM .lohn J. Vogt,

Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Curtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application May 6, 19.44, Serial No. 534,493

14 Claims.

invention relates to a closure characterized by features which adapt it particularly, although not necessarily, as a wing fold door for airplanes of the folding wing type.

In a folding wing airplane of the kind wherein the hingle elements connecting the xed and movable wing panels are located Wholly within the wing, it is the practice to form openings in the fixed panel to permit the hinge elements connecting the latter and the movable panels to rise above the skin surface of the fixed panel when the movable panels are folded, these open ings being normally closed by doors which are displaced prior to, or as an incident to, the folding of the movable panels.

One object of the invention is a door of the character generally described which is automatically displaced when the movable wing panel with which the door is associated is folded and which is automatically restored to a closed position and secured in such position when the said panel is extended toits flight position.

A further object is to provide a door which is secured in its closed position in such a manner that it and the mechanism associated with it are held securely against vibration.

A still further object is a novel design and arrangement oi the parts of the door, whereby to facilitate its installation, render it dependable in operation and enable compensation to be readily made for misadjustment and Wearing of the parts.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a door embodying the features of the invention and a fragmentary portion of the airplane Wing with which 4the door is associated.

Figure 2 is a section taken along line 22 of Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are similar sections, the former showing the manner in which the door is elen vated during the initial part of the folding movement of the movable panel and the latter showing the position of the door upon completion of such movement.

Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary sections taken along lines 5--5 and 6 6, respectively, of Figure 2.

The door, indicated generally at I4, is 111115- trated by way of example in connection with the folding Wing of an airplane, the said wing being suiiiciently indicated for the purpose in view by a showing of the adjacent ends of the center panel I5 and one of the outer panels I6. The

abutting ends of the panels may be connected in accordance with conventional practice by hinge elements Il and I8 which are carried Aby terminal portions of the beams of the panels. Each pair of elements may be pivotally connected by a hingle bolt I9. The latter is located below the skin surface of the center panel and inboard of the juncture 2Q (Figure l) of the center and outer panels.- The loWer portions of the hinge elements I'I and I8 are formed with holes which Y are aligned when the outer panel occupies its extended or flight position and through which a pin 2i (Figure 2) may be inserted to lock the outer panel extended and from which the pin may be withdrawn preparatory to the folding of the panel. The outer panel may be moved to a folded position by an actuating rod 22, which is connected to the center panel below the hinge bolt I9, and a suitable hydraulic mechanism (not shown) which is mounted within the outer panel, the hydraulic mechanism being connected to and acting upon the opposite end of the rod 22 to cause the outer panel t0 swing upwardly and inwardly about a hinge axis 23 (Figure 1).

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it Will be noted that, the hinge elements are Wholly enclosed within the Wing when the latter is extended, the hinge axis 23 being located below the upper skin surface of the Iwing and in inboard relation With respect to the joint 2D. An opening 24, therefore, is formed in the skin surface of the center panel so that the hinge element I8 may move out of the coniines of the wing and rise above the skin surface of the center panel as it is moved to the folded position shown in Figure 4. The door I4, in the extended position ofthe outer panel, provides a portion of the upper skin sur-- face of the center panel, being connected to the outer panel by hinges 25.

The invention contemplates the association with the door I4 of a mechanism which will automatically displace the door from the opening 2d as the outer panel is folded so that the hinge element I8 may rise through said opening and which will automatically restore the door to its closed position and lock it securely in such position as the outer panel is extended and the hinge element I8 returns to its normal position within the Wing. To this end, a channel member 26 is secured to the underside of the door I4. At its free end the channel member 26 carries a cross-pin 21 and a slide 28, the latter being engageable with, and being adapted to ride over, the skin surface adjacent the opening 24 as the hinge connection between the outer panel and the door swings about the hinge axis 23. Engagement of the slide 28 with the skin surface is maintained by a spring 29 which is connected at one end to a rib member 3B of the outer panel and at the opp-osite end to a bracket 3| which is carried by the door adjacent the hinged edge thereof.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that in the closed position of the door the cross-pin 21 occupies the inner end of an open-ended slot 32 which is formed by fork-like extensions 33 on a latch element 34. A tail-piece 35 on the latter carries a seat-providing screw 33 which is adjustable so that the head thereof will engage the under side of the top wall of the channel member 26, the said screw being secured in any desired position of adjustment by a lock nut 3l. ',Ihe latch element is connected to a side wall of a bracket 33 by pairs of links 39 and d, the bracket in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, being carried by a lug 4| which is formed or provided on the hinge element carried by the center panel. The links 33 and l0 will permit a parallelogrammatic movement only of the latch ele ment, positively resisting any forces acting upon the latch element which tend to cause the latter to pivot either upon its connections with the links 39 or upon its connections with the links liti. The links 39 and 4S connect the latch element 3G to the bracket 38 in such a manner that in the normal or locking position of Ithe latch element shown in Figure 2, those ends of the links which are connected to the latch element are located slightly below and in an outboard relation with respect to those ends of the said links which are connected to the bracket 38. In this position of the latch element, the door Ill occupies and is locked in a closed position. Any forces acting upon the door in a direction to open it, ten-d to swing it upon the hinges 25. As the radius about which the cross-pin 21 must swing is much greater than that about which the portion of the channel member which is engaged by the screw 36 must swing and as the links 33 and i0 will permit a parallelogrammatic movement only of the latch element, any opening movement of the door is positively resisted. Hence the door remains immovable. On the other hand, when the outer panel is folded the edge of the door which is connected thereto by the hinges 25 moves upwardly and over the hinge axis, the cross-pin 2l being free to turn in the slot 32 and to move toward and out the open end thereof. The door may swing freely away from the screw 36 under these conditions and no resistance to such movement is oiered by the latch element.

It will be noted that in the retracted position of the latch element a spring d2, which is connected at one end to the tail-piece 35 and at the opposite end to a pin 43 which is carried by the links 4D, is held under tension. The spring 42, therefore, is operative when the outer panel swings upwardly about the hinge axis 23 to cause the latch element to move upwardly and forwardly as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Thereby the latch element is operative to partially open the door |11 so that it will clear the marginal edges of the opening 24. When the latch element reaches the extended position shown in Figure 4, it engages the lug GI and is arrested. This occurs during the initial part of the folding movement of the outer panel. As the latter continues such Inovement the cross-pin 21 moves out of the slot 32 and the slide 28 rides up over the marginal edge of the opening 4 onto the skin surface, the spring '4 29 acting upon the door in a direction to maintain engagement of the slide with the skin surface.

When the outer panel is lowered to its extended, or flight, position, the door Hl is moved sidewise in the direction of the opening 24, the slide 28 traveling over the skin of the center panel until it enters the opening. As this occurs, the crosspin 2l moves between the fork extensions on the latch element and engages the end of the slot 32. Further movement of the door is, therefore, transmitted through the cross-pin to the latch element and the latter swings inwardly and downwardly about the links 39 and Ml to draw the door closed and to load the spring 42. The parts are so designed that as the outer panel reaches a fully-extended position the door firmly engages the Screw 36. The door is thereby held firmly against any movement, vibratory or otherwise.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the outer panel is in its extended, or flight, position, any opening, or vibratory movements of the door I4 will be prevented by the firm engagement of the door with the cross-pin 2T and the screw 36, Proper cooperation of the cross-pin with the walls of the slot 32 is readily effected as the latch element resists torsional forces throughout its range of movement and need not seat upon the side wall of the bracket, as shown in Figure 2, in its locking position. Hence, as the screw 36 is adjustable, the two points of engagement be tween the latch element and the door may be readily established when the door is installed and may be readily ree-established from time to time, if required as a result of dislocation or wearing of the parts.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific use illustrated and that the closure may be availed of to equal advantage in connection with various cooperating pivotally-connected parts wherein one part is formed with an opening to accommodate a hinge element or structural element carried by the other when one of the parts is folded with respect to the other.

I claim as my invention:

1. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is carried by one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element which is carried by said other of said members and is movable between locking and release positions, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said latch element when said latch element is in said release position and when said rst mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element to said locking position, said latch element draw ing said door closed as it is moved to such position.

2. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is ycarried by one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element which is carried by said other of said members and is movable between locking and release positions, resilient means for biasing said latch element toward 'said release position, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said latch element when said latch element is in said release position and when said rst mentioned member is moved langu'larly in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element to said locking position against the action of said resilient means, said latch element drawing said door closed as it is moved to such position.

3. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element which is swinglably mounted on the other of said members and is movable between locking and release positions, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said latch element when said latch element is in said release po'sition and when said irst mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element to said locking position, said latch element drawing said door closed as it is moved to such position.

e. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of :a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element which is swingably mounted on the other of said members and is movable between looking and release positions, resilient means for biasing said latch element toward said release position, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said latch element when said latch element is in said release position and when said first mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element to said locking position against the action of said resilient means, said latch element drawing said door closed as it is moved to such position.

5. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted te close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element which is carried by the other of said members and is movable relative thereto to a release position beyond the confines thereof, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said latch element when said latch element is in said release position and when said iirst mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element back into a locking position, said latch element drawing said door closed as it is moved to such position.

6. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element movably mounted on the other of said members, resilient means for moving said latch element to a release position beyond the confines of said other of said members, and means carried by said door which is engageaible with said latch element when said latch element is in a release position and when said first mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect to the otherv of said members to move said latch element back into a locking position against the action of said resilient means, said latch element drawing said door closed ras it is moved to such position.

'1. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door` which is hinged to one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element which is carried by the other of said members and is movable relative thereto to a release position, said latch element having an end portion which is formed to provide a catch and having a seat spaced from said end portion, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said catch when said latch element is in said release position and when said first mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element back into a locking position, said catch drawing said door closed against said seat as said latch element is moved to such position.

8. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element movably mounted on the other of said members, said latch element having an end portion which is formed to provide a catch and having a seat spaced from said end portion, resilient means for moving said latch element relative to the other of said members to a release position, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said catch when said latch element is in said release position and when said first mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direc-tion with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element back into a locking positionagainst the action of said resilient means, said catch drawing said door closed against said seat as said latch element is moved to such position.

9. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element which is carried by the other of said members and is movable relative thereto to a release position, said latch element having an end portion formed to provide a catch, a seat carried by said latch element in spaced relation with respect to said catch, said seat being adjustable as to height, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said catch when said latch element is in a release position and when said i'lrst mentioned member is moved angularlyl in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element back into a locking position, said atch drawing said door closed against said seat as said latch element is moved to such position.

10. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element movably mounted on said other of said members, said latch element having an end portion formed to provide a catch, a seat carried by said latch element in spaced relation with respect to said catch, said seat being adjustable as to height, resilient means for moving said latch element relative to said other of said members to a release position, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said catch when said latch element is in said release position and when said rst mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element back `into a lockingr position.- against the, action of .said` resilient means, said catch drawing said door closed against said seat as said latch element is moved to such position.

11. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of a pair of cooper-` ating, pivotally-connected fmembers and which is adapted to close an opening inthe other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element, said latch element havingan end portion formed to provide a catch, a seat carried by said latch element kin spacedrelation with respect tosaid catch, parallel links for mounting said latch element on the other of said members, resilient means for moving said -latch element to a release position, and means carried by saidV door which is engageable with said catch when said latch element is in said release position and when said first mentioned member is moved angularly ina predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element back into a locking position against the action of said resilient means, said catch drawing said door closed against said seat -as said latch element is moved to such position.

12. Mechanism for actuating and securingva door which is hinged to one oi a pair oi cooperating, pivotally-connectedmembers and which is adapted to close an opening in the other of said members, said mechanism including a latch element, said latch element having an end portion formed to provide a catch, a seat carried by said latch element in spaced relation with respect to said catch, said seat being adjustable as to height, parallel links ormounting said latch element on the other oi saidmembers, resilient means for moving said latch element to a release position, and means carried by said door which is engageable with said catch when saidlatch element is in said release position and whensaid-rst mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect ,to .the other of said members'to move said latch element back into a locking` position against the action of said resilient means, said catch drawing said door closed against said seatv as said latch element is moved to such position.

13. Mechanism foractuating and securing a door which is hinged to one` of a pair oi cooperating, pivotally-connected members and which is adapted to close anopening in the other oisaid members, said mechanism including a latch element, said latch element having an end portion formed to provide a catch, a seat carried by said latch element inspaced relation with respect to said catch, said seat being adjustable as to height, parallel links for mounting said latch element on the other of said members, resilient means connecting certain or" said links to said latch element lor moving the latter to a release position and means carried by said door which is engageable with said catch when said latch element is in said release 'position and when said rst mentioned member is moved angularly in a predetermined direction with respect to the other of said members to move said latch element back into a locking position against the action of said resilient means, said catch drawing said door against said seat as said latch element is moved to such position.

lll. Mechanism for actuating and securing a door which is hinged to one of a pair of cooperating, pivotally connected members, which is adapted to close an opening in the other ol said members, and which is normally biased toward a closed position, said mechanism including a latch element, said latch element having an end crniedto 1 ovide a catch and having a tail-piece, a seat carried by said tail-piece in spaced relation -with respect to said catch, said seat being ad- 5to the other of said members to move said latch element back into a locking position against the action of said resilient means, said catch drawing said door. closed against said seat as said latch element is moved to such position.

JOHN J. VOGT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,021,324 Osborn Nov, 19, 1935 2,014,793 Weymouth et al. Sept. 17, 1935 1,691,315 Van Auken Nov. 13, 1928 .2,126,727 Brunker Aug. 16, 1938 1,994,334 Rush Mar. 19, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 691,667 Germany June 3, 1940 

